Bonfire
by MCTVFan
Summary: The team enjoys a rare Saturday off spending time together at a bonfire on the beach where Sharon and Andy decide how open they want to live their deepening relationship. Fluffy one-shot


Thank you all again for your kind words about my previous stories! Your support means a lot to me as a writer. Anyway, this is just a fluffy one-shot to get us through the last stretch of the hiatus. I have another multi-chapter story that is finished and in the revision stage, so I figured I'd post something a little lighter in the interim. As always, I welcome your feedback.

I do not own Major Crimes or any of the fabulous characters. That honor belongs to James Duff and co. I just enjoy writing about them.

* * *

The Major Crimes squad was heading into a rare weekend off, and with no case on the horizon, everyone was looking forward to Saturday night. Amy had invited them to a cookout and bonfire on the beach that she and Cooper were throwing for their friends and co-workers. Even the perennially grumpy Provenza seemed to have a little extra skip in his step. Sharon was looking forward to an opportunity to bond further with her team outside of the office, and Andy was just excited to be spending time with Sharon (even if they would have to censor themselves in deference to the company they'd be keeping).

As the cars began taking over the empty parking lot of the secluded beach Amy had chosen, the sun spilled its red rays into the blue ocean creating a beautiful setting for the outing. Provenza had brought Patrice, Mike brought his wife, and Julio and Buzz arrived solo. Sharon and Andy arrived a few minutes later than everyone else because she was helping Rusty with a disagreement he had been having with Gus. Andy got out of the driver's seat and quickly walked around to open Sharon's door. She stepped out in a pair of shorts that were short enough to accentuate her perfect legs, but not draw too much attention. She had paired it with a simple white tank top covered with an oversized printed cardigan. She wore flat strappy sandals that still carried a touch of her usual flair. Andy was drawn to her more natural wavy hair and light make-up.

After she exited the vehicle, she stood facing Andy and couldn't help the flirty smile that crept across her lips. Andy looked good in his dark jeans and Henley with the top two buttons undone. She wanted to run her hands up his chest against the soft fabric and then allow her fingers to dance across the exposed skin at the top, but she knew this was neither the time nor the place with her team gathered on the sand just beyond their car. She took his hand in hers instead, and they walked towards their team.

As they approached them, they noticed Cooper manning the grill with a picky Provenza looking on while Amy, Patrice and Tao's wife were closer to the water laughing about something. Julio was giving Buzz a hard time, and members of Coop's SIS division were scattered about lost in their own discussions. Sharon and Andy made their greetings before dropping off their contributions to the evening's meal on the provided folding table that was strategically placed on the neighboring boardwalk. Sharon had brought a salad - the fancy kind with the types of lettuce Rusty refused to eat or pronounce - while Andy brought all the ingredients to make s'mores. When he dropped his bag on the table and began removing the items, Sharon gave him a look.

"What? You can't have a bonfire without s'mores," he stated obviously. She scoffed. "Not everyone wants something healthy like a salad at a cookout," he said leaning closer to her. She gave him a look, but it lacked heat. "But, I'm looking very forward to enjoying yours," he clarified with a smile. She offered him a _you better be_ smile. He laughed.

"For your information," she began and Andy knew that it was going to be trouble. "I brought salad so that I could eat dinner and still have room for dessert. S'mores happen to be one of my favorite things," she added with a smile. Andy's look of sheer surprise let her know she had managed to throw him off his game. She inwardly patted herself on the back for that because, honestly, every now and then, she enjoyed being the one to turn the tables. Andy watched as she sauntered off and opened the rather large cooler. She pulled out a bottle of beer while turning towards him with a seductive smile before engaging in conversation with Amy and Patrice. And damned if he didn't love her a little more in that moment.

Andy grabbed a bottle of water out of the cooler and headed over to keep his partner in line before Coop lost his sanity. The fire from the grill was setting off an impressive glow on the dust-lit beach. As Andy approached the scene, he noticed an assortment of items currently occupying the grill.

"Ah, Flynn. Settle an argument for us," his partner greeted him. Andy looked heavenward. He was already regretting this decision.

"About what," he answered slightly perturbed.

"Whether or not these veggie _patties_ should be called burgers," he said taking a long sip from his beer.

"Does it matter?" He asked incredulously. Provenza looked at him like he was crazy.

"Of course it matters! No self-respecting grill master would consider those veggie atrocities to be burgers!" Provenza challenged rather loudly. Coop just shook his head as he continued flipping the food currently on the grill. Great, Andy thought. It was going to be one of _those_ kind of nights.

"Just be glad you don't have to eat them and leave it at that. No offense, Flynn" Coop stated. Provenza scoffed.

"None taken. And to answer your ridiculous question, of course they're burgers. They're just a meat substitute," Andy explained.

"I'm surrounded by people who don't understand the sanctity of meat and the grill," Provenza complained. Andy just shook his head.

"You know, you're lucky Patrice puts up with you," Andy pointed out to his hardheaded partner.

"You're one to talk," Provenza retorted. "Especially with your ridiculous eating habits," he added.

"It's for health reasons and Sharon brought salad," he said annoyed. Provenza rolled his eyes.

"Idiots!" He said before taking another sip of his beer. Coop focused on cooking the food, but he couldn't help but to laugh at the two grumpy old men beside him.

"You know what? You're both lucky anyone puts up with either of you," he said with a chuckle. "Where is your lovely captain, by the way," he asked genuinely. Andy turned around and spotted her talking with Amy. He was instantly mesmerized. She was standing with her head tilted listening to the younger woman's story, and it must have been amusing because he saw a large, genuine smile cross her lips. He couldn't help his own lips from forming a small smile.

"They always like this?" Coop asked Provenza quietly.

"This? This is nothing," he explained. And just like that the two men settled into companionable conversation, mainly at Andy's expense. Andy walked off to join the woman who was capturing his attention. When he got over to her, she and Amy had been joined by Patrice, Buzz, and Julio. Andy didn't care. He walked up behind her and gently placed his hands on her hips pulling her towards him and resting his chin on her head. Sharon took the hand that wasn't holding her drink and placed it over his hand on her hip. She softly ran circles over it with her thumb. She didn't miss a beat of the conversation, and Andy once again marveled at her ability to multitask.

A few minutes later, the food was ready. After filling up their plates, Andy placed a blanket he retrieved from his trunk on the sand, and he and Sharon sat down next to each other to enjoy their meal. The food was delicious and the conversation flowed. Everyone teased Amy and Coop for the millionth time about thinking they had been fooling anyone before they announced they were couple. The conversation soon turned to some good-natured ribbing on Buzz and his reserve officer adventures before they fell back on a popular topic of conversation at these little outings: Flynn and Provenza's many screw-ups. Once the laughter reached a peak, Julio turned to his captain with the question that everyone had been wondering since she started spending time with Andy.

"Ma'am, you investigated him for most of these things. How on earth did you end up dating him?" Julio laughed. Sharon looked at Andy who seemed to be just as interested in her answer as the rest of them.

"Hmmm... It is a puzzle," she began good-naturedly and Andy's eyebrows shot up. "But, there are some things that you can't fight," she explained before turning to face the rest of the group. "And Andy has come a long way. He's not that person anymore, and I can honestly say that I am very proud of the person and detective that he is now," she beamed.

"Well, to be fair, Ma'am, he did it all for you," Julio teased and the laughter picked up again. Sharon and Andy barely heard it or much else. They were gazing at each other, loving smiles and looks firmly in place, and shutting out the rest of the world as they were prone to do.

Once the teasing had died down and the food was cleaned up, Coop and Amy started a roaring bonfire. The group brought their blankets and settled around it comfortably. The sun had been down for awhile now, and the night air carried a slight chill. The fire felt good, but Sharon still found herself shivering slightly. Andy noticed it right away and maneuvered them so that she was between his legs with his arms wrapped around her small frame and his chest pressed against her back. She fit inside his embrace perfectly and warmed almost immediately. Everyone toasted marshmallows and put them into s'mores while they shared stories and a lot of laughs.

As the night air grew colder, Andy pulled the blanket behind and around them to keep Sharon warm. Wrapped in the blanket and under the cover of darkness, they were free to hold one another a little closer. Andy pulled her tight against him allowing his hands to rest on her abdomen. Sharon placed her hands on top of his and laced her fingers through his. She knew her entire team was right there with them, but she decided that she didn't care. They weren't at work, everyone knew about them because they had made the deliberate decision to live this relationship in the open, and, quite simply, she loved him. She also loved the feeling of being surrounded by him, wrapped safely in his arms. The fire was warm and the settling was perfect, so she leaned her head back and buried her face into his neck.

Andy was surprised at how much of their relationship she was willing to share with the people they both worked with every day. It left him feeling light and giddy. Hell, if it were up to him, he would capture her lips and kiss her like no one was watching, but he knew Sharon was more private and he understood it given their positions. So, he turned and kissed the top of her head. She closed her eyes and smiled, burying her face further into his neck. She enjoyed the scent of his aftershave mixing with his own unique scent and the feel of his rough stubble against her soft skin. The moment was public, but intimate. She allowed her lips to graze his skin. It was light, barely there really, but she felt the smile that crossed his lips. She couldn't help herself, so she did it again, and this time, she allowed her lips to linger a bit longer on the sensitive flesh of his neck.

He pulled her impossibly closer and moved his hands so that they were ghosting over the soft skin above her exposed knees. When she moved her lips against his skin for a third time, he allowed his hands to rest gently just above her knees and he began drawing soft patterns with his thumbs. She hummed quietly into his neck, and he enjoyed the soft vibrations the sound produced. He dropped his head just enough so that his mouth was even with her ear.

"I love you," he whispered so only she could hear. She smiled, and his hot breath caused her to shiver with pleasure. He tightened the blanket. "Still cold," he observed and she shook her head.

"No," she said turning her head to face him. "Just right," she replied. It took everything he had not to kiss her right then and there. She was looking at him with so much love and openness that it was almost painful to draw his eyes away in order to prevent himself from turning their small public display of affection into something that was a bit more of a spectacle. Once Sharon settled back into her previous position, she subtly angled her face toward his ear.

"I love you, too," she whispered back and he hugged her impossibly closer to him. She settled back into his embrace and enjoyed the warmth of the man she loved along with the warmth of the raging fire.

Across the fire, Amy, Julio, and Provenza were quietly observing their captain and lieutenant. They had watched them dance around their feelings for months. Then, they watched as they flawlessly navigated the complicated lines between work obligations and a romantic relationship. They had seen them hold hands a few times and even embrace on occasion, but this was the first time they had seen them as just Sharon and Andy: two people completely in love with each other. Julio's question earlier was something that they had all pondered, but seeing them together tonight, snuggled up closely under a blanket and positively glowing from more than the fire, the answer was easy to ascertain.

Sharon and Andy were too wrapped up in each other to notice the prying eyes. And truth be told, they didn't care if anyone was watching. Tonight, they were going to let themselves just be. The bonfire raged on, but it was nothing compared to the one raging between them warming their hearts.

THE END


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